The following prior issued U.S. patents are representative of those directed to the art of cleaning tape playing mechanisms:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,815 -- Valentine (1962)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,439,922 -- Howard (1969)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,850 -- Wellington (1971)
Both Valentine and Howard utilize the abrasive tape. In addition, Howard describes a brush 60 which may be impregnated with a solvent for use in cleaning an idler wheel 26.
Wellington is directed towards a cleaning cartridge which will spray the solvent material onto the tape recording/reproducing heads. It is not clear how the excess solvent and the material that is to be cleaned from the heads is to be removed. Presumably, one would remove such material with a cotton swab, Q-tip or the like.
Cylindrically shaped devices having liquid reservoirs for supplying felt tips or the like are well-known as marking implements. Exemplary of these prior issued patents are the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 946,146 -- Newman (1910)
U.S. Pat. No. 1,297,675 -- Garvey (1919)
U.S. Pat. No. 2,143,712 -- Rissman (1939)
U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,201 -- Cushman (1948)
The cylindrically shaped reservoir filled by retracting a plunger mechanism is well known in the fountain pen structure of which the following prior issued U.S. patent is exemplary:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,317,817 -- Ogilvy (1919)